Master of Architecture (Path A)
About This Program
The Master of Architecture program educates and prepares students to secure leadership positions in the profession of architecture. Within a broad curriculum, design as a discipline and as a process is emphasized. Students are encouraged to give rich visual and material substance to both theoretical and pragmatic ideas. The context for design at the School of Architecture is the contemporary urban condition, a point of departure that is especially appropriate for a school at the heart of a diverse, expanding, and internationally oriented region like Dallas/Fort Worth.
Each student's prior record of study of each student determines where, in a progression from introductory to advanced work, the program is entered. There are three distinct programs of study, which provide options to graduate students with different backgrounds and needs. Path A, for students holding a 4-year bachelor's degree, requires 3.5 years and 104 credit hours to complete.
Students will acquire the competencies required by a professional architecture degree according to the student criteria established by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)
Competencies
- Health, Safety, and Welfare in the Built Environment—Upon graduation, students will understand the impact of the built environment on human health, safety, and welfare at multiple scales, from buildings to cities.
- Professional Practice—Upon graduation, students will value professional ethics, the regulatory requirements, the fundamental business processes relevant to architecture practice in the United States, and the forces influencing change in these subjects.
- Regulatory Context—Upon graduation, students will be able to apply the fundamental principles of life safety, land use, and current laws and regulations to buildings and sites in the United States, and use the fundamental principles in the evaluative process architects use to comply with those laws and regulations as part of a project.
- Technical Knowledge—Upon graduation, students will understand the established and emerging systems, technologies, and assemblies of building construction, and can apply the methods and criteria architects use to assess those technologies against the design, economics, and performance objectives of projects.
- Design Synthesis—Upon graduation, students will have the ability to make design decisions within architectural projects while demonstrating synthesis of user requirements, regulatory requirements, site conditions, and accessible design, and consideration of the measurable environmental impacts of their design decisions.
- Building Integration—Upon graduation, students will have the ability to make design decisions within architectural projects while demonstrating integration of building envelope systems and assemblies, structural systems, environmental control systems, life safety systems, and the measurable outcomes of building performance.
Admissions Criteria
Unconditional Admission
For unconditional admission to the Path A program, the candidate must:
- Hold a baccalaureate (BS or BA) degree from an accredited program in a subject outside architecture, such as liberal arts, sciences, business, or another profession.
- Have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 as calculated by Graduate Admissions.
- Have a minimum total score of 297 on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) with a minimum score of 154 in the verbal portion.
- Submit three letters of recommendation from sources who are familiar with the applicant's academic record, preferably former professors. (For applicants who have been out of school for an extended period, letters of recommendation may be from professional sources if academic ones are no longer available).
- Submit a short 200-word personal statement providing evidence of professional or academic goals consistent with the Architecture Program.
- For applicants whose native language is not English, a minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS, or a minimum TOEFL iBT total score of 79 is required. Further, when the TOEFL iBT is taken, sectional scores of at least 22 on the Writing section, 21 on the Speaking section, 20 on the Reading section, and 16 on the Listening section are preferred. For otherwise highly qualified candidates, this requirement may be eased.
- Submission of a design portfolio is optional. Candidates are encouraged to submit portfolios of creative work including freehand drawings or sketches, painting, graphic design, architectural or furniture design.
Probationary Admission
Candidates who do not meet the criteria for unconditional admission to Path A, will be considered for probationary admission in which they will be required to maintain a grade of B or better in the first 12 credit hours of courses in the program. To be considered for probationary acceptance, the candidate must perform well on four of the following six criteria:
- Undergraduate performance in relevant courses
- Work experience
- GPA
- GRE
- Portfolio review (optional)
- Letters of recommendation
Note: Applicants whose native language is not English who do not meet the program's minimum TOEFL score, may be asked to complete extramural training in English through the Pathways Admission Program described in the Admission section of this Catalog.
Provisional Admission
An applicant unable to supply all required documentation prior to the submission deadline but who otherwise appears to meet admission requirements may be granted provisional admission. All missing documentation must be received before the end of the first semester of study.
Deferred Admission
A deferred admission may be granted when a file is incomplete or when a denied decision is not appropriate.
Waiver of Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
A waiver of the Graduate Record Exam may be considered for a UT Arlington undergraduate who has completed an undergraduate degree in Architecture or Interior Design; the student's GPA must equal or exceed 3.50 in all undergraduate coursework completed at UT Arlington. The GRE waiver may also be extended to other UT Arlington undergraduates who have completed an undergraduate degree at UT Arlington; the student's GPA must equal or exceed a 3.50 in all undergraduate coursework completed at UT Arlington. The final decision to waive the GRE also requires a positive review of completed coursework by the graduate advisor to determine the applicant's readiness to study Architecture.
Denial of Admission
Candidates who do not satisfy the requirements for probationary admission will not be admitted.
Graduate Teaching/Research Assistantships
To be considered for a Graduate Teaching or Research Assistantship, the candidate must be admitted unconditionally. In order to be eligible for teaching assistantships, students whose native language is not English, must complete extramural training in English as approved by the Program and the Office of Graduate Studies, score of 23 on the TOEFL-iBT Speaking subtest or score a 7.0 on the Speaking portion of the IELTS.
Fellowships and Scholarships
To be considered for fellowships or scholarships in the Program the candidate must admitted without provisional conditions and have a favorable review in most of the evaluation criteria. Fellowships and scholarships in architecture are limited and very competitive. Generally, candidates must be new students coming to UT Arlington, must have a GPA of 3.0 in their last 60 undergraduate credit hours and any graduate hours, and must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 hours in both long semesters to retain their fellowships or scholarships. For further information and to apply for scholarships visit the CAPPA Scholarships and Financial Aid website.
Curriculum
| Foundations | ||
| ARCH 5301 | INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN | 3 |
| ARCH 5303 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN I | 3 |
| ARCH 5342 | DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS | 3 |
| ARCH 5591 | DESIGN STUDIO I | 5 |
| ARCH 5304 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN II | 3 |
| ARCH 5343 | ARCHITECTURAL GRAPHICS II | 3 |
| ARCH 5364 | SITE DESIGN | 3 |
| ARCH 5592 | DESIGN STUDIO II | 5 |
| ARCH 5670 | ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO | 6 |
| ARCH 5323 | CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS | 3 |
| ARCH 5325 | ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS I | 3 |
| ARCH 5357 | BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING & VISUALIZATION | 3 |
| ARCH 5593 | DESIGN STUDIO III | 5 |
| ARCH 5324 | STRUCTURES I | 3 |
| ARCH 5326 | ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS II | 3 |
| ARCH 5594 | DESIGN STUDIO IV | 5 |
| ARCH 5331 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE | 3 |
| ARCH 5670 | ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO | 6 |
| ARCH 5327 | STRUCTURES II | 3 |
| ARCH 5336 | PROGRAMMING AND SITE DESIGN II | 3 |
| ARCH 5671 | INTEGRATIVE DESIGN STUDIO I | 6 |
| ARCH 5328 | STRUCTURES III | 3 |
| ARCH 5333 | CONSTRUCTION II | 3 |
| ARCH 5672 | INTEGRATIVE DESIGN STUDIO II | 6 |
| Electives | ||
| Select one 5000-level course in history and theory. | 3 | |
| Select one 5000-level course in technology and practice. | 3 | |
| Select one 5000-level course from an allied discipline (landscape architecture, urban design, housing, or interior design). | 3 | |
| Select any 5000-level ARCH coursse. | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 104 | |
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Session | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| ARCH 5593 | 5 | ARCH 5301 | 3 | ARCH 5304 | 3 |
| ARCH 53XX | 3 | ARCH 5303 | 3 | ARCH 5343 | 3 |
| ARCH 5342 | 3 | ARCH 5364 | 3 | ||
| ARCH 5591 | 5 | ARCH 5592 | 5 | ||
| 8 | 14 | 14 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Summer Session | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| ARCH 53XX | 3 | ARCH 5323 | 3 | ARCH 5324 | 3 |
| ARCH 53XX | 3 | ARCH 5325 | 3 | ARCH 5326 | 3 |
| ARCH 5357 | 3 | ARCH 5670 | 6 | ||
| ARCH 5671 | 6 | ARCH 53xx History or Theory Elective | 3 | ||
| 6 | 15 | 15 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Summer Session | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| ARCH 52XX | 2 | ARCH 5327 | 3 | ARCH 5328 | 3 |
| ARCH 5336 | 3 | ARCH 5333 | 3 | ||
| ARCH 5670 | 6 | ARCH 5672 | 6 | ||
| ARCH 53xx Technical Elective | 3 | ARCH 53xx Elective | 3 | ||
| 2 | 15 | 15 | |||
| Total Hours: 104 | |||||
Advising Resources
The College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA) at UT Arlington equips students with skills and knowledge to address real-world challenges in design, public policy, and research. Our Advising Office supports academic and career success. Explore our Future Students page to connect with an Academic Advisor and shape your future.
Location:
203 CAPPA Building
Email:
cappa.advising@uta.edu
Phone:
817-272-2801